La Solitaire du Figaro 2008- 79 skippers entered

by Sabina Mollart-Rogerson on 19 Feb 2008
79 skippers of which 25 are rookies, 6 are women and 8 from outside France, have registered to take part in La Solitaire du Figaro in 2008. For this 39th edition of the race, the competitors will follow in the footsteps of the original “Course de l’Aurore” race, a race made up of three stages, amounting to a new record 1,880 nautical miles.

La Solitaire du Figaro, one of the Summer’s highlight events in the Figaro sailor’s calendar, will take place between the 19th of July and 17th of August 2008. They are many, well and not so well known, professional and amateur, experienced or rookies, who are all keen to make their mark on the race. To date, seventy-nine have registered for this new edition and all are determined to be on the start line in La Rochelle on the 25th of July.

The notice of race does stipulate however that the number of competitors is limited to 55 and that those confirming their registration must do so before the 31st of May 2008.

Like every year, La Solitaire brings together one of the most important fleets of one design boats. Among the skippers announcing their intention to take part in the 2008 edition, we can find both the experienced and loyal to the Figaro Bénéteau circuit, as well as the rising young talent taking part for the first time.

They come back…After a few years off the scene, Alain Gautier returns to try and win the event yet again; Erwan Tabarly comes back sailing under new colours, while also entered are Ronan Guérin, Antoine Koch and Sébastien Audigane, who was sailing on Groupama 3 during their Trophée Jules Verne attempt.

The invincibles…such as Jean-Paul Mouren (22nd participation), Gildas Morvan, Nicolas Troussel (winner in 2006), Eric Drouglazet (winner in 2001), Thierry Chabagny, Jeanne Grégoire, Nicolas Béranger and others will fight it out to the bitter end for the best places.

Then you can’t take your eyes of the young and fiery such as Frédéric Duthil, Gildas Mahé, Thomas Rouxel, Nicolas Lunven rookie class winner in 2007), Christopher Pratt (rookie class winner in 2006) who really put those invincible ones to the test.

The 25 rookies entered to date confirm once again that La Solitaire du Figaro attracts new talent each year. Others have proved themselves in other offshore areas. The 2007 favourites on the Mini 6.50 circuit enter: Isabelle Joschke and Adrien Hardy.

From the dinghy and windsurfing worlds come Thibaut Vauchel-Camus, the Champion de France in F18 in 2007 and Arthur L Vaillant who finished 3rd in the windsurfing World Championship in 2006.

La Solitaire 2008 will have the pleasure of welcoming 8 international sailors: Antonio-Pedro Da Cruz (Cape Verde Islands), Pietro D’Ali (Italy), Andy Grenwood (Great Britain), Isabelle Joschke (Franco-German), Nigel King (Great Britain), Juan Merediz (Spain), Paul O’Rian (Ireland), Liz Wardley (Papa New Guinea).

Jacques Caraës, the Race Director explains: “ With 79 entries, once again we see a particularly talented selection of sailors for the 39th edition of La Solitaire du Figaro. Not only do we have the experienced, notably the return of Alain Gautier, the 1989 winner, but also a number of rookies who have come in strength; Adrien Hardy and Thibaut Vauchel-Camus, come from different areas of dinghy sailing; the Mini circuit, Mumm 30s…”

The sailors set off from La Rochelle on the 25th of July with the same and sole aim: to win La Solitaire du Figaro 2008. In order to cross the finish line in l’Aber Wrac’h in Brittany, as winner, they will have to excel in tactics, strategy, weather analysis, and also contact racing. The 1,880 nautical miles course will see the skippers across the English Channel, the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic Sea and the Irish and Celtic Seas

La Rochelle will play host to the Solitaire sailors for the 8th time. The boats will moor in the Chalutiers basin in the old port.

Race Village opens: Saturday 19th July
Prologue Suzuki: Wednesday 23rd of July
Start of the first leg: Friday 25th July

Vigo, in Galicia, welcomes the Figaro sailors for the third time. The race had not been hosted here since 1990.l

Expected arrival of the boats: Monday 28th July
Start of the 2nd leg: Thursday 31st July

The international sailing harbour of Cherbourg-Octeville, a major gateway to Europe, will host La Solitaire du Figaro for the sixth time.

Expected arrival of the boats: Monday 4th August
Start of the third leg: Friday 8th August

L’Aber Wrac’h, will crown the winner of the 2008 edition of La Solitaire du Figaro. It will be the first time the race goes to this little idyll in Brittany.

Expected arrival of the boats: Thursday 14th August
Nautical Parade: Sunday 17th August

Qualifying Races:

In order to race in La Solitaire du Figaro 2008, the skippers must compete in one or more qualifying races:

- From 27th to the 29th of March 2008: Solo Figaro Les Sables

- From 1st April to 31st May 2008: Le Record SNSM – Saint-Nazaire – Saint-Malo

- From 9th to 11th May 2008: La Transmanche (Yacht Club des Abers)

- From 23rd to 25th May: Solo Figaro Portdefrance.com Concarneau

Participating Skippers

	SURNAME First Name	No. of participation excluding 2008
1	AMEDEO Fabrice	Rookie
2	ATTANASIO Romain	6
3	AUBERT Jérome	1
4	AUDIGANE Sébastien	7
5	BALOGH François	5
6	BARD Philippe	Rookie
7	BARRIER Alexia	Rookie
8	BELLOIR Aymeric	1
9	BERENGER Nicolas	5
10	BIARNES Vincent	1
11	BOS Christian	6
12	BOUILLARD  Didier	1
13	BOUILLARD Philippe	Rookie
14	BOUVET Christophe	2
15	BOYER Etienne	Rookie
16	BULOT Jean-François	3
17	CHABAGNY Thierry	7
18	DA CRUZ Antonio -Pedro (Cap Vert)	2
19	D'ALI Pietro (It)	3
20	D'HOOGHE Eric	Rookie
21	DOUGUET Corentin	2
22	DROUGLAZET Eric	15
23	DUTHIL Frédéric	4
24	EMIG Marc	5
25	GABART François	Rookie
26	GARCIN Elise	Rookie
27	GAUTIER Alain	15
28	GENDRON Grégory	Rookie
29	GIROLET Mathieu	Rookie
30	GODART-PHILIPPE Arnaud	Rookie
31	GOUEZIGOUX Laurent	1
32	GREENWOOD Andy (GB)	Rookie
33	GREGOIRE Jeanne	6
34	GUERIN Ronan	10
35	HANNEQUIN Pascal	Rookie
36	HARDI  Adrien	Rookie
37	JOSCHKE Isabelle (Fr-Alle)	Rookie
38	JOSSIER Nicolas	Rookie
39	KING Nigel (GB)	1
40	KOCH Antoine	5
41	LE BAUT Jimmy	2
42	LE GAL  Michaël	Rookie
43	LE GAL Franck	4
44	LE MEITOUR Jean-Philippe	1
45	LE MIERE Grégoire	2
46	LE NABOUR Quentin	1
47	LE VAILLANT Arthur	Rookie
48	LEPESQUEUX Marc	6
49	LIVORY Yannig	Rookie
50	LOISON Alexis	2
51	LUNVEN Nicolas	1
52	MAHE Gildas	2
53	MEREDIZ Juan (ESP)	1
54	MONNET Jean-Charles	1
55	MORVAN Gildas	12
56	MOUREN Jean-Paul	21
57	NAGY Robert	2
58	NELIAS Jean-Luc	1
59	NEU PIETRI Guillaume	Rookie
60	NICOL Jean-Pierre	1
61	NIGON Erik	1
62	O'RIAN Paul (Irl)	1
63	PAVANT (de) Hugo	Rookie
64	PELLECUER Laurent	11
65	PERON Eric	1
66	PRATT Christopher	2
67	RIOU Elodie	Rookie
68	RIVET Frédéric	1
69	ROLLAND Kevin	Rookie
70	ROUXEL Thomas	2
71	SVILARICH Etienne	3
72	SZEKELY Malko	Rookie
73	TABARLY Erwan	7
74	TREUSSART Ronan	2
75	TRIPON Armel	4
76	TROUSSEL Nicolas	7
77	VAUCHEL-CAMUS Thibaut	Rookie
78	VENIARD Gérald	4
79	WARDLEY Liz (Papouasie Nouvelle Guinée)	4

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